a. Field of Invention
The invention relates generally to child resistant safety caps that have been developed to utilize intelligence for opening and to inhibit children for acquiring access to container contents. These child resistant caps may be used on any container to which it may be attached, such as containers containing child harmful powdered solids, pills, tablets, liquids, gels, gases or combinations thereof, but may be particularly effective in spray and gel dispensers. The present invention caps utilize dual tracks that have U-channel movement of an outer cap relative to an inner cap to effect opening.
b. Description of Related Art
The following patents are representative of the field pertaining to the present invention:
U.S. Pat. No. 6,082,565 to Harrold describes the present invention is a child resistant cap and dispenser. It includes a dispensing container, a flange located non-rotatably connected on the container neck with one-way ratchets, located thereon, said flange being non-rotatably connected to said container neck; a ring collar, non-removably and rotatably connected to the container neck with one-way ratchets located thereon, in functional and cooperative contact with the flange ratchets to permit rotation of it about the neck in one direction and so as to prevent rotation in the opposite direction. The ring collar has an outer circular wall, with one of (i) at least one keyway track and, (ii) at least one keyway protrusion, located thereon, the other being located on a cap, adapted to fit onto the said ring collar. There is a spring mechanism located on at least one of the necks, the collar and the cap, to bias the cap upwardly away from the dispensing container when the cap is connected to the ring collar.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,433,329 to Weinstein describes a child-resistant cap with independent open and close ratchet sets. It includes an inner cap having a top and side walls and having inside surfaces and outside surfaces and an open bottom, and structure for attachment to a container. It also has a flanged base extending outwardly from its side walls, with the flanged base having one-way ratchet members thereon for engagement with an outer collar for locked rotation of an outer collar with the inner cap in a circular, first direction. It also has ratchets located on the outside surface of the top for engagement with an outer cap for rotation of an outer cap with the inner cap in a circular, second direction opposite from said first direction. There is an outer cap having a top and side walls and an open bottom and having inner surfaces and outer surfaces. It is rotatably attached to the inner cap and has ratchets on its inside surface of its top for engagement with the inner cap. There is also an outer collar rotatably mounted about the inner cap and the outer cap which has ratchets thereon for engagement with the ratchets located on the base flange of the inner cap.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,317,796 to Hunter describes Packaging having a combination lock closure is rendered child resistant in a manner that maintains ease of adult use and economy of manufacture while providing adequate protection of child health. The technique comprises the steps of selecting an appropriate child resistance effectiveness, selecting an appropriate older adult use effectiveness, determining a probability of random opening that correlates with the selected child resistances effectiveness and provides at least the selected older adult use effectiveness, and configuring the combination lock closure to present to the package user said probability of random opening. Configuring the closure may include providing a plurality of tumblers, only one of which is accessible to manual manipulation.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,228,583 to Weinstein describes the present invention involves a child resistant closure for containers with threaded necks. It involves an inner cap and an outer cap which engages with one another by ratchets in order to close but these ratchets do not engage when an attempt is made to open the closure. The inner cap and the outer cap are generally cylindrical and have sides and a top, although the outer cap may have an open top. The inner cap has threads on its inside and is adapted to non-removably receive the outer cap so that the outer cap is rotatably engaged therewith. The outer cap is non-removably but rotatably mounted on an engaged with the inner cap. At least one keyway slot is located either on the outside of the inner cap or the inside of the outer cap and there is at least one keyway protrusion extending toward the keyway slot and located on which ever of the inner cap and outer cap does not contain the slot. There are indexes on each of the caps and when they are aligned, the keyway protrusion and the keyway slot will be aligned. The user will align the indexes or indicia and then lift up so that the protrusion fits into the keyway slot. In this manner, the outer cap engages the inner cap so that they are simultaneously rotated for opening. Upon closure, the protrusion will be pushed or dropped out of the slot and the ratchets will engage for proper closure.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,217,130 to Weinstein describes the present invention involves a child resistant closure for containers with threaded necks. It involves a cylindrical inner and outer caps which engage with one another by ratchets to close the closure. These ratchets do not engage when an attempt is made to open the closure. The inner cap has threads on its inside and is adapted to non-removably receive the outer cap in that the outer cap is rotatably engaged therewith. The outer cap is non-removably but rotatably mounted on and engaged with the inner cap. At least two biased keyway slots are used and each may be located either on the outside of the inner cap or the inside of the outer cap. There are at least two biased keyway protrusions, one corresponding to each slot, and each protrusion extends toward its corresponding keyway slot. Each is located on which ever of the inner cap and outer cap does not contain the corresponding slot. There are indexes on each of the caps and when they are aligned, the keyway protrusions ad their corresponding keyway slots will be aligned. The user will align the indexes or indicia and then lift up so that the protrusions fit into their keyway slots. In this manner, the outer cap engages the inner cap so that they are simultaneously rotated for opening. Upon closure, the protrusion will be pushed or dropped out of the slot and the ratchets will engage for proper closure.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,148,931 to Minh describes this invention provides a new and simple tamper-resistant, safety closure for a container having threaded neck. It requires the user to align the two arrows, then give it an upward lift while turning in the counter-clockwise direction to unscrew it from the container. Features of the invention useful in accomplishing the above objects include an outer cap and an inner cap. The interior surface of the outer cap has a plurality of identical protrusions, called the type A protrusions, and one type B protrusion. The exterior surface of the inner cap has a plurality of identical grooves, called the type A grooves, and one type B groove. If the type B protrusion is lifted into the type B groove, then the two caps inter-lock and turning the outer cap in the counter-clockwise direction would also turn the inner cap in the same direction, resulting in the unscrewing of the closure from the container. On the other hand, if the type B protrusion is lifted into one of the type A grooves, then the outer cap will rotate without unscrewing the inner cap from the container.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,991,729 to Hunter describes a rotatable member is held within a closure cap by a circumferential ridge. Both the closure cap and the rotatable member carry inwardly projecting studs. Ribs on stepped cylindrical surfaces of the container neck are provided with channels that permit axial passage of the studs when properly aligned. Proper alignment is achieved by means of stops on the rotatable member and the closure cap which, when engaged during rotation, align the studs circumferentially with the channels. The rotatable member is provided with a frictional fit on the neck of the container, or the rib thereof, so that as the closure cap is rotated, the rotatable member will stay in position on the container neck until the stops contact one another. When the closure cap is rotated in a predetermined direction to a predetermined point, it will cause the stops to contact such as to properly index the studs on the rotatable member relative to channels in a rib on the container neck. Thereafter, rotating the closure cap in the opposite direction to a point which may be determined by markings on the container and the closure cap will cause the studs on the closure cap to be aligned with the channels in a second rib on the container neck so that the closure cap can be removed from the container.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,006,836 to Micallef describes a safety cap for a container including an outer cover having an end wall and a peripheral skirt depending therefrom with a band mounted in the cover. The band and cover are designed for rotatably fastening and unfastening the cap on a container. The band and cover include lock structure to permit rotation of the band and cover onto the container into the fastened position and to prevent rotation of the band and cover into the unfastened position with respect to the container. Furthermore, release structure is provided on the band and cover and is adapted to be shifted between an inactive position whereupon it does not affect the operation of the locking structure and an active position whereupon it deactivates the locking structure and permits the band and cover to rotate into the unfastened position.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,927,783 to Bogert describes this invention is for a leak-proof protective safety closure for containers which is used to prevent inadvertent opening of the container by children or the like. The invention provides a cap having a top and sidewalls which has a wedge-shaped protrusion on the interior of the cap near the base of the sidewalls. A recessed relatively elongated and sloping track is provided on the neck of the container and the wedge rides in the track. Near the base of the track is a notch or groove which accommodates the wedge to lock the cap into position against inadvertent openings. There are pressure means in the form of a rigid ring below the underside of the top of the cap and a flexible plate which flexes while the wedge on the cap rides in the groove and remains under pressure when the wedge snaps into the notch to provide a leak-proof fit. To open the cap it is depressed against the action of the flexible plate to a point where the wedge comes out of the notch or groove and the cap is turned until it is free of the track.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,895,731 to Coursaut describes a closure for receptacles such as bottles comprises an annular member of plastic material which is forced down over the neck of the receptacle. The annular member possesses an external thread and a flange at its lower end including a protuberance concealed by the flange. The closure further comprises a cap internally threaded to engage on the annular member and having a cut-out in its lower edge which snaps over the protuberance when the cap is screwed home. A destructible tamper-proof seal in the form of a ring fits below the flange to prevent, until removed, deformation of the flange with displacement of the protuberance and consequent withdrawal of the protuberance from the cut-out, permitting unscrewing of the cap from the annular member.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,870,182 to Georgi describes a safety closure for a container having an externally threaded neck. The closure includes an inner member that is internally threaded for application to the neck of the container, and an outer closure member fitted over the inner member and holding the inner member captive therein. The outer member fits loosely over the inner member so that the outer member is normally free for rotation relative to the inner member and is also free for limited telescopic movement over the inner member. Lugs are provided on the inner surface of the outer member, and recesses are formed in the outer surface of the inner member, so that when the outer member is lifted, pressed radially inwardly, and rotated the lugs mesh with the recesses to provide engagement between the inner and outer members so that the inner member can be removed from the container by continued rotation of the outer member. Thus, simultaneous application of lifting, radially inwardly compressive, and rotational forces to the outer member is required in order to remove the closure from the container.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,857,507 to Lecinski, Jr. describes this disclosure relates to a novelty safety closure comprising a fitment and a cap for assembly together and telescopic press application onto a container finish, the cap having means reinforcing a part of the fitment against outward deflection, the fitment having an interior surface reducing in diameter from a leading surface portion thereof toward the opposite end thereof, the leading surface portion in the area of the reinforcing means having a diameter sufficient to permit telescopic assembly of the cap and fitment on an associated container finish with little initial resistance to the relative telescopic movement of the diminishing diameter of the fitment above said surface portion with thereafter increasing resistance to a point of interference which is offset by radial outward deflection of the fitment above said surface portion, and the fitment terminates at the opposite end thereof in means for axially opposing abutment of an associated container finish thereby precluding unauthorized removal of the fitment and/or cap from a container finish. The finish also includes means for axially opposing abutment of the fitment abutment means, and in a preferred embodiment of the invention the finish and fitment abutment means are opposed annular shoulders.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,822,805 to Marchant describes a safety closure for containers having a threaded neck, which closure includes an inner closure adapted to be threadably received on the container neck and an outer or overclosure covering, and normally freely rotatable on, the inner closure. The inner closure is provided with continuous engaging means around the lower portion of its skirt, which means are engageable by means provided on two downwardly projecting flexible tabs provided in the lower portion of the skirt of the overclosure. Application of pressure between the thumb and finger compresses the tabs of the outer closure to engage the inner closure, thereby permitting rotation of the locked inner and outer closures to remove the safety closure from the neck of the container. A second embodiment includes a plurality of integrally formed projections on both the top surface of the inner closure and on the bottom surface of the outer closure. The projections are adapted to engage to rotate the inner closure when the outer closure is rotated to attach the safety closure to the container and to disengage when the outer closure is rotated to detach the safety closure without pressing the tabs to lock the outer closure into engagement with the inner closure.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,809,271 to Stroud describes a safety closure for securement to containers and vials and adapted to prevent access to the contents of said containers and vials, the safety closure including an inner cap and an external lid both frictionally retainable on the open end of the container or vial. The inner cap includes a central plate having a peripheral wall around the outer periphery thereof adapted to frictionally engage the inside wall of the container or vial. A flange secured to the upper edge of the peripheral wall prevents the internal cap from moving downwardly into the container from the upper end thereof. The internal cap includes an interlock structure formed on the peripheral wall. The external cap includes a central plate having an annular flange projecting from the outer periphery of the central wall and dimensioned to frictionally engage the outer wall of the container or vial. The outer wall of the external lid includes an interlock structure adapted to mate with, and engage, the interlock structure of the internal cap to facilitate removal of the internal cap from the container or vial.
Notwithstanding the prior art, the present invention is neither taught nor rendered obvious thereby.